Fateful Meeting
by Magnus Prime 24
Summary: A look at how the first true meeting between Marinette, Adrien and Master Fu might go. Spoiler Warning for the end of Season 1!
1. Chapter 1

It had been a strange day for Marinette, but even still, this was more than she had bargained for. When Tikki told her it was time to meet the Great Guardian, she half-expected a tall, lithe wizard locked away in a great tower filled with books. She did not expect him to be an old masseuse living in Paris.

And she definitely had not expected his Hawaiian shirt.

"Welcome Ladybug." He said in a smooth, comforting voice. Marinette felt drawn to him, sensing great wisdom behind his eyes and terrible fashion sense. She entered the parlor and sat down across from him. The door closed on its own, as if by magic.

"I see you have found my book. Thank you for returning it to me." the old master noted.

"Uh, you're welcome?" Marinette responded sheepishly. She had thought of so many questions while Tikki led her here that the possibilities were tripping over each other in her mind. Finally, one managed to break through. "So are you the one who gave me the Miraculous?"

The man smiled. "Very good," he said. "I am Master Fu, Guardian of the Miraculous. I am the one who bestowed them upon you and Cat Noir. For the last century I have chosen the heroes of the world, as my Master before me did. I am pleased to say that you have lived up to all my expectations."

Marinette blushed at the compliment. "Thank you. But if you don't mind me asking -"

The questions jumbled up in her head again, leaving her confused and exasperated. Master Fu must have noticed, for he gave her a knowing smile and asked "You wish to know the origin of your powers? Of the Miraculous and Kwami?"

"Uh, well yes." she stammered out. "I know that they're thousands of years old and have amazing powers, but Tikki hasn't told me anything else."

Fu's brow crinkled. "I see." he said gravely. "Thank you for your discretion, Tikki. But I see now that the time for secrecy is nearing its end. I apologize for keeping my knowledge from you, Ladybug, but at the time it was necessary. Hawk Moth is a dangerous foe, and unfortunately I fear he is not our only one. Before I answer your questions, however, I will need you to answer one of mine. Where did you find this book?"

"Oh, my true lo- friend, Adrien had it. Tikki insisted we had to take it. Do you know how he could have gotten it?"

Fu frowned, contemplating the matter. After a moment, he replied "I have an idea of how he acquired it, but this is troubling. It appears I may have to put some cards on the table sooner than I expected."

"But I thought you said that you were going to tell me your secrets?" Marinette asked. She could see in his eyes that the Master was truly attempting to be kind, but his words had been steadily making her spine chill. Whatever she was about to learn was clearly going to change a great deal about her world.

"Some secrets are not mine to tell." Fu sighed. "But at this point, I am left with little choice. Wait here, I will be back within an hour."

"Wait, where are you going?" Marinette asked.

"To find answers for the three of us. To do that, I will need more than just Ladybug. I will also need her partner."

"Wait, you're bringing Cat Noir here? Shouldn't I suit up then?"

The old man shook his head. "No, the time for you to keep your identities secret from each other is over. Our enemy is on the move, and secrecy is no longer our greatest weapon. If we are to triumph, you both must know what you face, and the scope our battle."

Fu opened the door and exited, letting it close silently behind him. Marinette stayed sitting, feeling that all that had happened was leaving her with more questions than answers.

Author's Notes: It's been about five years since the last time I wrote a true fanfic, so hopefully my skills at writing have improved. I'm not sure if I'll continue this or not, but hopefully I did leave you all with an interesting scene at least. Feel free to sound off, even if you thought it was garbage!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I hadn't actually expected the warm reception I got, but I decided to take people up on their requests to do more with this premise. I apologize if this doesn't quite have the revelations you're hoping for yet, but rest assured that they will come next time. My goal here was to get more into Adrien's head a bit, as I found Marinette easier to write for. Until next time, I hope you enjoy.**

There had been plenty of times where Adrien wished he had a normal life, but today was truly testing his resolve. An Akuma attack caused by Ladybug herself was enough on its own, but the revelation that his father was researching the Miraculous and the loss of his book was nearly enough to give him a heart attack. If his father found out that he was Cat Noir, there was no way he'd ever be able to leave the house again. The book needed to be found, and without delay.

So when Nathalie came to tell him that there was a masseuse who was very insistent that Adrien had a house appointment for his services, he was surprised, confused, and a little annoyed. But he didn't want anyone (else) making a scene today, so he came to the door to meet the man. He opened it, hoping that it wouldn't take long to persuade the man to leave.

Upon seeing the masseuse he felt a strange sense of familiarity. He couldn't place it, but something in the back of his mind told him he had seen this man before. "Hello there . . ." he said uncertainly.

"Ah, Master Adrien. It is good to see you. Are you ready?"

Adrien wasn't exactly sure why, but something about this man compelled him to listen. His smooth, quiet voice and kind yet experienced eyes somehow seemed to comfort the young boy. It wasn't logical, rational, reasonable. It was an instinctual reaction that told him he needed to speak with this man, even if he had no idea what they were going to talk about.

"Sure," Adrien found himself saying. "Come on in."

Adrien led the man to his room, his hairs standing on end. The rational part of his brain told him he should be suspicious, but his gut said that he needed to speak with this man. They entered the chamber (he still couldn't believe his bedroom was big enough to be called a chamber), and the man closed the door.

The man let out a soft sigh and then turned to Adrien and said "Thank you for allowing me this visit, Cat Noir."

Adrien's brain exploded. He'd been so careful, there was no way anyone could have found out who he was. The young boy stepped back and adopted a defensive posture. "Alright, no more games." he said. "Who are you, and how do you know I'm Cat Noir?"

"I've known all along who you and Ladybug are." The man said. "After all, it was I who gave you your Miraculous."

That made Adrien pause. If what this man claimed was true, then perhaps he could finally learn more about his powers. And about a certain red-and-black clad superheroine...

"Alright. I'll give you a chance to talk. But if you do anything to threaten my father or Ladybug, I will stop you."

The man gave him a knowing smile. "I'd expect nothing less. Your drive to protect others is the reason I chose you to wield the Cat Miraculous." He then moved to the chair at Adrien's computer and sat down. "But I'm getting ahead of myself. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Master Fu, Guardian of the Miraculous. For over a hundred years I have chosen champions like yourself and Ladybug to protect the world from harm. Now the time has come for you and Ladybug to learn the secrets of the Miraculous, and of our history."

Adrien pondered what he had heard. If this Master Fu was telling the truth, then he might have some answers on why his father was researching the Miraculous, and just what his interest in them was. He might even be able to keep Hawk Moth from finding out about his father's work. Despite that, he was still uncertain about the man.

"You guard yourself very carefully." Fu noted. "I understand your hesitation to trust me. Allow me to prove myself." Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a wedge of extremely pungent cheese.

As if on cue, Plagg darted out. "Camembert!" the little kwami cried out. "Come to Plaggy!"

Adrien couldn't help letting out a small chuckle. Only a friend of Plagg's would know how much the little guy adored his cheese. "Alright," the young hero said. "I'll trust you. So what is it you wanted to tell me?"

"There's much for all of us to tell each other." Fu answered. "For too long I relied on secrecy and shadows. Now you and Ladybug must know what I know, and I, in turn, require your knowledge. Come." He motioned towards the window. "The time has come for you and Ladybug to meet without your masks. We have much to do."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Apologies for accidentally lying to my readers about the revelations coming in this chapter, but as I kept writing it got so big that I ended up having to split it in two. To make up for it I'm publishing both at once, so you can just head to the next one after this. Hope you enjoy!**

Marinette had barely made it through the first half-hour before she started pacing through the parlor, or was it more of a dojo? _It certainly has an Eastern Asian feel to it,_ Marinette thought, _maybe Master Fu is Chinese. If he is Chinese, maybe he met my uncle once, and maybe he met my mother. Oh no! What if he had told her I'm Ladybug?_

"Marinette, it's okay." Tikki giggled. "Master Fu will be back soon. Getting worked up won't solve anything."

"Ugh, you're right Tikki, but I just can't help it!" Marinette complained. "It's just so stressful. Until today I thought nobody knew who I was, and now I find out not only does Master Fu know, he wants Cat Noir and I to learn each other's identity too! And then there's this book with the Miraculous wielders that Adrien somehow had, and I have no idea how to explain to him where it went or why I needed it without telling him too much and putting him in danger and there's anewthreatIveneverheardofand -"

"Easy, Marinette." the little Kwami interrupted. "Master Fu will explain everything you need to know. He'll take care of Adrien. As for your identity, it was him who chose you to have the Miraculous in the first place. He'd never reveal your secret unless it was really important."

Marinette took in a deep breath. Her partner was right. There was no use getting worked up over things she couldn't control. That didn't stop her from being nervous, but Tikki's words had at least managed to stop her mind from tearing itself apart over the possibilities. Not for the first time she was grateful to have the little creature in her life. Tikki had been a constant source of encouragement and wisdom throughout the past year, helping Marinette when no one else could.

Calming down, Marinette said "Thank you, Tikki. I'm so lucky I got you as my Kwami."

Tikki flew over and snuggled up to her cheek. "And I'm lucky to have you as my human. Now why don't we sit down and wait for Master Fu to come back."

Marinette took Tikki up on her suggestion and decided to occupy her mind by going through the Miraculous book she had brought. True, she couldn't read what it said, but she could at least gain some idea from the images of who the previous Miraculous wielders were. She was even able to guess the time period some of them lived in based on the designs of their outfits. Before long she was able to notice a pattern. All of them were themed after seven different animals; a butterfly, a bee, a fox, a turtle, a peacock, and of course a ladybug and a cat. Those two in particular seemed to come in pairs.

"Hey Tikki, is there a reason the Ladybugs and Cat Noirs are grouped together?" she asked.

The little Kwami nodded. "There is, but I think Master Fu should be the one to explain it."

Marinette shrugged her shoulders and went back to looking through the book. She was so absorbed in it that the sound of the door opening shocked her upright like a jack-in-the-box. She quickly turned around to see the old Guardian and …

"A-Adrien?!" she stammered. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"Hey, Marinette." the young boy said with a puzzled look. "I was wondering the same thing about you. Wait a minute, is that my father's book?"

"Your father's?" Marinette was still shocked to see him (not to mention feeling a little guilty about stealing the book from him), but even that wasn't enough to completely shake her wits. Maybe most of them, but not all. If Adrien's father had a tome of the Miraculous, then something very strange was going on.

"If I might interrupt," the old man said. "We have much to discuss. Tikki, Plagg, please come out and join us."

The two Kwamis emerged from their hiding places, exchanging a knowing glance. Marinette stared at the floating black cat that had emerged from Adrien's jacket pocket. But how could he have a Kwami unless...

"Thank you for joining us." Fu acknowledged. Then he turned his head to the two teenagers and said "I believe you already know each other, Ladybug and Cat Noir."

Marinette wasn't sure, but she could've sworn she did a triple take. Adrien couldn't be Cat Noir. He just couldn't.

Could he?

Plagg let out a roaring laugh. "Oh man, you should see the look on your faces. Priceless!

"Plagg!" Tikki scolded, though the little red Kwami was struggling to keep herself from snickering.

Marinette could feel the blood rising in her cheeks. How had she not connected the dots? With just one revelation everything made sense and nothing made sense anymore.

"Ahem," the old master cleared his throat. "If you don't mind, we have important matters to discuss. I realize that the two of you are surprised by this news, but we must put that aside for now. The time has come for me to tell you both the origins of the Miraculous, and the reason for our battle against Hawk Moth."


	4. Chapter 4

Master Fu began "In the beginning, when the world was first formed, there were seven guardians set to protect it. Each commanded a powerful force that helped shape the universe. However, these guardians could not live forever. In order to ensure that their power endured beyond their end, they each took up an artifact and imbued it with their power. These artifacts became known as the Miraculous. But the Miraculous required a source of energy for their power, and so the guardians each chose a Kwami to bond to their Miraculous. Of course, even Kwami have their limits, which is why you can only use your powers once before having to change back. It's for that same reason that Hawk Moth can only summon one Akuma at a time."

"So that's why he's never sent more than one super villain after us." Adrien said. "But doesn't that mean he has his own Kwami?"

Master Fu sighed, then responded "I'm afraid it does. Poor Nooroo is a helpless slave to Hawk Moth's dark designs. Until we are able to learn his identity and seize his Miraculous, Nooroo will be forced to comply with whatever Hawk Moth desires."

Marinette had had a question forming in the back of her mind for some time, but Adrien and Fu's words finally allowed it to crystallize for her. "But where did Hawk Moth get his Miraculous then? We received ours from you, did he manage to steal his from you?"

Fu shook his head and answered "No, he did not. While it is true that I guard the Miraculous, I was never the guardian of all of them. The Moth Brooch that houses Nooroo was lost in a great battle centuries ago. Neither my former master nor I have ever seen it. Until recently we thought it was lost forever."

"But if you weren't able to find it, then how did Hawk Moth?" Marinette asked.

"I do not know." Fu said, "And that worries me. I'm hoping that this book you brought me may help shed some light on the subject. But that brings me to my own questions. Now Marinette, you said it was Adrien who found this book?"

Marinette nodded, trying not to look over at Adrien. It had been necessary, but she still felt guilty for stealing the book from him. It didn't help that she now realized she had stolen it from her trusted crime-fighting partner.

"I found my father looking over it this morning. Plagg said it looked familiar, but he couldn't place it. He was a bit … preoccupied at the time."

"Oh, Plagg," Tikki sighed. "When will you ever stop thinking with your stomach?"

"When it stops giving me good ideas." Plagg responded with a smirk.

"Plagg, pay attention this is very important." Fu said. "Was there anything else significant with this book?"

Plagg looked around the room warily, and then he answered. "No, nothing at all. Absolutely nothing."

Tikki crossed her arms and looked disapprovingly at the cat. "Plagg, tell us the truth."

"Oh, alright. I was hoping I could tell you without the kid around, but I guess he had to find out sooner or later."

"Find out what?" Adrien asked.

"Your father had the Peacock Miraculous stored in his safe." Plagg said. "Either he was once a chosen one or he met someone who was."

This time Marinette did turn to Adrien. His father, a superhero? She couldn't even begin to imagine it. And if she was having trouble with it, who knew how he was taking it?

She could see his face contorting through a thousand different emotions before he finally steadied himself. When he finally spoke his voice was steady and calm, but Marinette could feel the edge in his voice nevertheless.

"Plagg," he said "Why didn't you tell me that was in there?"

The little Kwami sighed and dropped his head. "Because I didn't want to ruin the way you look at your father."

"Oh, Plagg," Tikki giggled. "There's no need to pretend like you don't care about Adrien. He's your partner, it's okay to admit that you want him to be happy."

"Speak for yourself." Plagg said. "I'm a cat. I have an aloof image to maintain!"

Nobody could stop themselves from laughing at that one. Marinette wasn't sure how something as black as Plagg could turn red, but he was very clearly flustered. When the rest of them calmed down it was Master Fu who spoke first.

"Well, this changes things. I had had my suspicions, but now they are confirmed." He turned to Adrien with an apologetic look on his face. "I am sorry, young one, but I believe your father and I have a dark history."

Adrien's face darkened. Marinette wished their was something she could do to help him, but she was paralyzed by her nerves. The only thing she could do now was listen.

"It began twenty years ago." Fu narrated. "When a powerful villain, Dark Miracle, arose in Rome, I was forced to recruit a new partner. The young man I chose was strong, determined, and clever. I believed he was the perfect candidate for the Peacock Miraculous. But I would eventually learn that his ambition exceeded his judgment, and his desire for control was destined to consume him. He would ask me more and more about the history of the Miraculous and the powers of the others. At the time I thought his thirst for knowledge was harmless.

"But then one day everything changed. Dark Miracle discovered the man's identity, and kidnapped the woman he loved. Consumed by anger, he came to me and demanded that I give him the other Miraculous so that he could save his love. I tried to reason with him, to tell him that the two of us together would be able to defeat this villain once and for all. But when he realized I would not give him what he wanted, he flew into a blind rage. He used his powers to try to seize the Miraculous from me, and we fought. Unfortunately I was caught off-guard by his ferocity, and he managed to steal one.

"I tracked him to the villains lair, and saw him defeat Dark Miracle. His anger still unsatisfied, he killed the villain in cold blood. I fought him again, and managed to take back the Miraculous he had stolen. At the end of our battle I was only able to prevail by trapping his Kwami within his Miraculous. As long as my entrapment remains, its powers can never be used again. But I was unable to prevent him from escaping with the Miraculous. I searched for many years, but I was never able to find him."

Fu turned to look at Adrien before continuing. "That man," he said, "was Gabriel Augustus. Only now I believe you know him as Gabriel Agreste."

If Adrien was surprised by that revelation, he failed to show it. Instead all he said was "I understand. Thank you for telling me."

Marinette spoke up. "There's one thing I don't understand about that story. If Adrien's father was your former partner, why weren't you able to find him before now?"

"For one thing, his appearance changed along with his name." Fu explained. "The other major reason is that when a Kwami is inside their Miraculous their energies cannot be found. I'm afraid I'm still getting used to modern technology, so I haven't been able to conduct a thorough search."

Marinette nodded. Sometimes even she had trouble keeping up with how quickly things were advancing. She could only imagine what it would be like for a man who was over a century old. But that still left some questions unanswered.

"Wait a minute. You said this was linked to how Hawk Moth found the Moth Brooch. How so?" she asked.

"I'll admit, it's more of an educated guess than a confirmed fact." the master explained. "But I believe that Hawk Moth would not have been able to obtain the brooch without the help of that book. Chat Noir, is there any way Hawk Moth could have gained a hold over your father?"

Adrien shook his head. "I don't think so. The only way anyone could force my father to do something he didn't want to is to threaten something he loves. So it'd have to be either me or..." his voice trailed off.

Marinette wasn't sure, but she had an idea of where this was going. She could only hope that the conclusion she and Adrien were reaching was wrong.

Realization finally dawned in Adrien's eyes, followed by pure terror.

"Or what?" Master Fu asked.

The young boy looked down at his lap, trying to hide his face from the others as he said what he feared most.

"Or my mother."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Apologies for the long wait, it's been crazy busy this week with the snowstorm. But yes, the final chapter of this fic is here! This may be the end of this particular fic, but I am planning on continuing the story, so if you're interested, be on the lookout for that. I've also gotten set up on AO3, so if you want to read anything there, that option is available. With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy!**

A chill permeated the room. The tension was so thick that Marinette swore she would need a chainsaw to cut it. Silence stretched for what felt like hours, even though she knew it could have only been minutes at most. Finally Master Fu's voice broke the parlor.

"Well, that certainly changes things. If Hawk Moth indeed has your mother, then we must double our efforts to find him."

"I'll do more than that." Adrien said, rising from the floor with grim determination. "I'm going to go have a long talk with my father."

"Ca- Adrien wait!" Marinette called. "If you confront your father now there's no telling what Hawk Moth will do to your mother, if he even has her!"

"Ladybug is correct." Master Fu agreed. "We have learned a great deal today, but there is still much we do not know. I would advise caution for now."

Adrien looked conflicted for a moment, but he eventually capitulated. "Alright then. So what do we do?"

"For now, watch your father." Fu advised. "With this book missing, he's bound to suspect something. Hopefully his actions will lead us to what we need to know."

"But what if he realizes I'm the one who took it?" Adrien asked. "Nobody else knew about the safe where he was keeping it."

"I wouldn't worry about that." Plagg said. "After all, I'm the one who opened the safe, remember? No evidence to trace it back to you. Just play dumb and he'll never be the wiser."

"That's surprisingly smart, coming from you." Adrien teased the cat.

"Oh please, I'm always smart." Plagg retorted. "This is just one of the few times you've realized it."

"Should we leave you two alone?" Tikki asked with a smug grin.

Adrien and Plagg rolled their eyes in unison, forcing Marinette to try and suppress a giggle. She failed.

"What's so funny?" Adrien asked her, a familiar frustrated look on his face. Recognizing it took only a moment, for it was the same one Cat would give her whenever she laughed at him.

Marinette froze. Up until now she had been focused on Master Fu's stories, engrossed in learning a hidden history. But now it seemed things were calming down, and she had to take it in. Adrien, her crush, was Cat Noir, her partner. Kind, sweet, quiet Adrien was dorky, flirty, bombastic Cat Noir. The realization had hit her like a sack of bricks earlier, but its impact had been diminished. Now it hit her like a freight train with the brakes cut.

"Oh, uh n-n-nothing! Nothing at all!" she stammered. She quickly turned away from his gaze, hoping that he wouldn't notice how red her cheeks were turning. She wasn't that lucky.

"What's wrong Marinette?" Adrien asked. "You're perfectly capable of talking to me as Cat, but when the mask's off you always seem nervous."

By this point Marinette was fairly certain that her face had burst into flames. Oh well, at least if she perished in a fire she wouldn't be stuck in this awkward conversation anymore.

Master Fu came to her rescue. "If I might interject, we're drifting from our main subject. I have told you of the origins of our powers and you have told me how the Miraculous Codex was acquired. Is there anything else you wish to know?"

Adrien spoke up immediately, saying "Yes. When we first met our Kwamis, they told us to keep our identities a secret from everyone, even each other. I didn't even know you were the one who gave me my Miraculous until today. So why are we revealing ourselves to each other now? Why did we need to hide in the first place?"

Fu closed his eyes and took a long breath. Marinette wasn't entirely sure, but she thought she detected guilt on his face. After a moment he finally answered "I'm afraid that may have been a mistake on my part. At the time I believed that Hawk Moth had simply stumbled upon his Miraculous by accident. I was hoping that by keeping our identities a secret that I could operate beneath Hawk Moth's notice, and learn more on my own. Once I had more information and I knew it would be safe, I would tell you what I have today. Unfortunately, I didn't count on Gabriel being here with the Miraculous Codex. If he is working with Hawk Moth as I suspect, then we can ill afford to be divided any longer. Our strength must now come from unity."

As he finished speaking Marinette could see fire gleaming in his eyes. Whatever he was now, it was clear to her that Master Fu had once been a great warrior. And now he was entrusting them to take up his battle. Marinette felt both deeply honored and extremely nervous. Could she truly live up to the task?

Tikki seemed to sense Marinette's thoughts, giving her a comforting pat on the shoulder. Marinette looked over at the little bug and smiled. No matter what, Tikki had always had her back. Knowing that fact steeled Marinette. She had been chosen to do this, and she would rise to the occasion no matter how hard it might be.

Turning back to Master Fu, Marinette asked "So that's why you wanted us to keep our identities a secret from each other, correct? The less people who knew meant the less of a chance of Hawk Moth gaining our Miraculous."

Fu nodded. "Exactly right. If one of you were captured he would not be able to extract the other's identity. It was a risk on my part, but it seemed appropriate at the time. But no longer. Now we stand together. And now we must make our next move. I shall work on deciphering the Codex so that we may learn its secrets. In the meantime, you must watch your father, Cat Noir. And you, Ladybug, must watch over your partner and over Paris. We have much to do, and I fear we have little time to do it."

With that, Fu stood up and bid his guests good-bye. As Marinette exited his parlor she could feel Adrien's eyes on her. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks immediately. Why did he of all people have to be Cat Noir? It was as if the universe had thought up the most cruel joke it could possibly play on her, and then decided to make it even worse.

"So I guess we'll be seeing more of each other now." Adrien turned to her to say.

Marinette gave a small squeak. She had hoped, despite knowing that it was probably in vain, that Adrien would want to avoid talking to her. Despite everything that had happened, she still wasn't sure how to react to the news of him being Cat Noir. Willing her brain to connect to her mouth, she finally managed to stammer out "We guess I will – I mean, we will guess I – I mean, see you later?"

Adrien tilted his head and raised his eyebrows, looking for all the world like a cat that was confused by a strange object. Marinette had to fight to suppress a giggle at that thought. Things were already weird enough between them, laughing at his Cat-isms would only make the situation more awkward.

"Alright," he finally said. He seemed to have figured out that Marinette was still feeling a little uncomfortable around him after everything. She was grateful that he let it drop and started on the way to his house. But before he got too far he turned back over to Marinette and said "You know you can talk to me if you're feeling uncomfortable, right? We are partners after all."

Marinette blushed. "Thanks. I'll uh, let you know if something's wrong. See you later?"

"See you later." he answered with a small smile aimed at her. Marinette felt her face flush even further. She had no idea how she was going to survive now that she and her partner knew each other's identities, but she knew that somehow they would make things work. After all, miracles tended to happen in the least expected places.


End file.
